The next day we left New York. Not right away, though. Everyone had to say their goodbyes to Aine and Caoimhe. Each took their turn brushing their hands over black hair and kissing smooth foreheads. Bruce even spun both of them around, smiling as they squealed in joy.
Even Clint said a quick goodbye, apologizing to all of us before returning to his spot at Natasha's side.
I had run into him late last night in the kitchen, he had apologized there the first time, saying he didn't know if he could ever forgive Loki and he was sure he wasn't going to be able to forget, but he knew that it was not the girls' fault in any way. He had seemed so sincere, I forgave him then and there.
"Thor," Pepper said, coming out of the kitchen, "we bought you a little parting gift."
Thor glanced with curious eyes to the large box the other Avengers had helped carry out for Pepper. It was covered in a dark blue blanket and reached past Tony's waist.
With a smile, Pepper unveiled the mysterious gift.
I rolled my eyes when I saw what was underneath.
Tony and Pepper had bought a bulk box of poptarts, all his favorite kinds - strawberry and blueberry.
Thor's eyes lit up and he strode over and wrapped both Tony and Pepper in his arms, "Thank you, my friends." A huge smile stretched his face.
That man got way too excited over toaster pastries.
Tony grunted, "Okay, yup, I'm awesome. I'm well aware of that fact. I am also aware of the fact that I don't enjoy being touched."
Thor pulled away. Pepper rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's attitude, then came over to hug me. "I hope you can come visit sometime again."
I nodded, "Of course."
After a couple more goodbyes, including one from Natasha who demanded we get together again soon sometime (she wanted to know how I 'tamed' Loki), we were off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Darlings!" Frigga called out as soon as we arrived at rainbow, running over.
"I've missed you all so much!" she proceeded to smother us all with hugs and kisses.
She froze in her affections when she spotted Sigyn. Giving her nothing but a hard glare, Frigga turned back to us and walked along with us into Asgard.
Sigyn followed silently behind, the only sound coming from her was the rattling of her chains. Both her hands and feet were handcuffed and, as she lacked the magic skills
Loki possessed, she only had a muzzle on to keep her quiet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~When we arrived in Asgard, Sigyn was immediately locked up in the same cells where the Frost Giants had previously resided and was automatically assigned to have multiple guards watching over her at all times.
She surprisingly didn't put up a struggle, just continued to glare at everyone with hate, not including Loki though. He stayed with her the whole time to make sure that sure was locked up tight with no possibility of escape, even put various magical barriers around the cell, and she still seemed to believe that he was going to fall in love with her and sweep her off her feet.
I was already unpacked whenever Loki came back up to our palace rooms.
"Hello, love." he said pulling me into his arms.
I smiled up at him, "Is she locked up safely?"
He nodded, "Of course. Odin, Thor, and I have pulled all of our skills together to make sure of it. We don't want anything to happen to you or the girls."
I nodded in understanding, "So...now what?"
He shrugged, "Now, she will spend the rest of her days in that cell. We will see to it that she receives proper care and her family is allowed to visit, but she is not permitted to leave."
I kissed his cheek, "I'm sorry."
He looked down at me, confused, "For what?"
"I know you and her were close."
He sighed, "We were...what you might call 'fuck buddies'. I enjoyed her company outside of the bedchamber, but our relations inside of it were impersonal and merely for release. I did feel sadness to loose that old friend, but now I can see that she had always been this way, possessive and jealous. I just pretended not to see it. I should have broken off our intimate relations as soon as I realized her true nature. If I had, none of this would have happened." As he finished, he sat down on the bed.
I could see it now, the guilt that weighed down his shoulders. He honestly believed what he was saying, that he was at fault for the attacks against our family.
I perched beside him, "When you first began the relationship, were you clear that it was going to be nothing more than sex to you?" I didn't particularly relish speaking about his past lovers, but if doing so released this guilt, I'd do so.
He nodded, "Yes, and she said that was fine. She wanted the same."
"You told her what you wanted, and she went into the relationship knowing that. It's not your fault she expected something different. You might say that you should have ended the relationship when her feelings changed, but you still stuck to what you wanted. And she kept coming back. You never offered her more and gave her false hope, yet she still continued the relationship. You have to stop blaming yourself, that does nothing but give you wrinkles and turn your hair grey and I'm quite fond of it black."
He smiled at me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me so I sat in his lap. Kissing my ear, he mumbled into my hair, "Thank you. You somehow always know how to save me from myself."
"Well someone has to do it, if it was up to you, you'd probably be living in a mental health institution right now."
He tossed me so I lay on my back on the bed and kneeled above me, "You think you're funny don't you?"
I smirked up at him, "I know I am."
I could see him fighting to keep his face neutral, "Well, we'll see how funny you think you are after I'm done with you."
I rolled my eyes, "Ooo, I'm so scared, what are you gonna do, spank me?"
His eyes darkened, "No, but that idea has merit. I was thinking more along the lines of this!" he shouted, just before he dug his fingers into my sides and began tickling me.
I busted out laughing, I had always been extremely ticklish and his long fingers had the ability to hit all of my weak spots.
"Stop!" I screamed, squirming to escape his fingers.
"Not until you say you're sorry!" he shouted over my laughter, and his as well. He had given up on keeping it in check.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
He stopped immediately, and pulled his fingers away, leaving me gasping and breathless, clutching my aching sides.
As soon as he released me, he was on top of me, pressing his body between my thighs. He captured my lips with his, "Hmmm, love you look beautiful like this."
"What, all red in the face and sweaty?" I snarked, snaking my hands into his thick hair.
He smiled against my mouth, "Yes, I love the blush that comes to your cheeks and the fine sheen of sweat that coats your skin. It reminds me of when we make love, right after you orgasm, your breasts heaving, nipples peaking at my touch."
I moaned at his words, and tugged his hair.
He kissed down my neck, "Where are the girls?" he mumbled against my skin.
"Frigga...said she wanted...to keep them for...the night. She missed them." I gasped out.
I could feel his smile, "Good, then we have plenty of time for me to have you writhing beneath me in pleasure instead of laughter."
He proceeded to do so many times throughout the night, even continuing up into the early morning hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Chapter 22
